UK asset manager Abrdn has officially reverted to the name Aberdeen, scrapping its much-criticised, vowel-less branding introduced under former chief executive Stephen Bird.
The change was announced by Jason Windsor, who took over as chief executive last year. Windsor described the switch as “a pragmatic decision marking a new phase for the organisation, as we focus on delivering for our customers, people and shareholders”.
The “Abrdn” name was introduced in 2021 by Bird, who left the company in May 2023. The rebrand followed the merger of Edinburgh-based Standard Life and Aberdeen-based Aberdeen Asset Management into Standard Life Aberdeen in 2017. The merged company employs more people in the Scottish capital than in Aberdeen.
Despite Windsor saying just weeks ago that the firm would stick with the Abrdn name, Tuesday’s announcement marks an abrupt reversal. The company said the rebrand would help eliminate unnecessary “distractions.”
The new name will, like the Abrdn brand, be officially spelled by the company with a lower case “a”, in contravention of the rules of English grammar which stipulate that proper nouns should always be capitalised. Despite the rebranding, most newspapers added a capital “A” when referring to the company.
Windsor added that the company did not hire external consultants for this latest rebrand, in contrast to the costly advisory work that accompanied the Abrdn name change.
In addition to the rebrand, the company announced it will begin searching for a new chair to succeed Sir Douglas Flint, who has held the role since 2019.
The announcements come as Aberdeen reported a return to profit, posting a pre-tax profit of £251mn for 2024, compared with a £6mn loss the previous year, thanks to lower customer withdrawals and improved investment performance.
